Carbon Materials
for
Green Technology
Hi, I'm Dr Jacob W. Martin
I am a carbon materials scientist and nanotechnologist who studies how we can manufacture carbon for use in the development of renewable energy.
I am a trained physicist, chemist and chemical engineer having completed my BSc and Masters at the University of Auckland and PhD at the University of Cambridge in 2020. I then worked at the Cambridge Centre for Carbon Reduction in Chemical Technology in Singapore as a research fellow working with industry to decarbonise. I then came to Perth on a Forrest Fellowship at Curtin University's Physics and Astronomy department and became a Lecturer in 2024. Read more
I am Group Leader of the Curtin Carbon Group with co-leader Assoc. Prof. Nigel Marks we work on advanced carbon materials for decarbonisation in Carbon Group.
We combine fundamental and applied understanding to solve challenging problems in carbon materials science. For example how can we produce carbon materials for green technology without the emission of carbon dioxide.
Motivations
The documentary 2040 provides a realistic challenge.
Can we employ the green technology we currently have by 2040 to bring our greenhouse gas emissions to zero while adapting to the changing climate?
There are many organisations, including Project Drawdown and Rewiring Australia, where you can get information about how to practically achieve our 2030 targets.
However, we need new breakthroughs in materials science to reach net-zero by 2050.
Carbon is a problem if it is emitted into our atmosphere but it can also be the solution if we can put it into our green technology.
Communicating science
Science communication is at the core of being a scientist. Whether it is between other scientists, the public or school kids science is always better shared.
I often speak on the wonders of carbon materials as well as on our green transition focusing on bringing optimism, realism and tangible solutions to the table.
Some of my recent contributions include;
How carbon materials can improve solar power, green hydrogen and battery technology an ABC News article
Carbon - a vital part of our new energy future ABC Radio National The Science Show
TOP5 Science Media Residency with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) in 2022
TEDx talk as part of the lead-up to the COP26 climate conference in 2022
Lecturing in quantum mechanics and analytical chemistry
Pint of Science Singapore in 2019
Poetry off the Page nanoart exhibition featured on TV3 Nightline News The Beautiful World of Nanotechnology in 2013
Science blogging at NZNano since 2011